Wedding Bell Blues

Y'all know we have the wedding bell blues here. In less than 5 weeks and we will be having a wedding at the beach. Things are shaping up... and we are getting excited.

The lucky bride was treated to a wonderful shower over the weekend.She was so excited over her great gifts... A picture frame for a special photo; beautiful linens and bathroom stuff; dishes, platters, and kitchen things. She was overly excited about a huge crock pot! That's my girl :-)

Brooke is blessed to have such a wonderful extended family!

We'll all be partying at the beach!

Don't forget to check in at Smiling Sally for more blues.
y'all enjoy~
Sandi

Photohunt ~ Mostly Black

The photohunt for this week is 'mostly black'.But of course~A London Cab! Happy Hunting y'all~
Sandi

Friday's Favorites ~

This is my newest favorite. I picked it up ~along with some other fun things~ from Rhoda's moving sale last week.
Y'all know Rhoda, who is Southern Hospitality... she's another of my favorites:-)

What is your favorite today?
Y'all join in~

Sandi

Blue ~ Ready to G.O.

Look at my new 'true blue' travel companion.

Doesn't she just make you smile?

Before the end of the year 'we' are going to 2 special weddings, The beach and Boston, to Italy and London. (and maybe a few side trips in between)

Don't forget to check in at Smiling Sally for more blues.
y'all enjoy~
Sandi

Pomodori e Vino ~ Croquettes

What's better than mashed potatoes?

Well, fried mashed potatoes of course!

Potato and Ham Croquettes, Romagna Style, call for a bowl full Marcella's light and fluffy Parmiggiano mashed potatoes. The secret ingredient in the mashed potatoes is nutmeg and (of course) lots of fresh parmiggiano cheese.

To make croquettes; the potatoes are combined with finely chopped proscuitto and egg. Then made into 2 inch patties, lightly floured and fried in vegetable oil.

There is a crispy outside and a lovely creamy inside.

Another Essential success!

Remember to follow us along daily on Facebook or on the Pomodori e Vino Blog ...
Ciao Y'all,
Sandi

Photohunt ~ Silhouette

The photohunt for this week is 'Silhouette'.

I have a whole series of unintentional silhouettes.

I was on the Ponte Sant'Angelo in Rome, trying to get pictures of the beautiful Bernini angels. All I could get were silhouettes

Happy huntng y'all~
Sandi

Friday's Favorites ~ Toomer's Corner

I am almost speechless...
almost.We have just heard the news that some #$*&! idiot has poisoned the magnificent oak trees in Auburn at Toomer's corner. The #$*&! idiot has been arrested and is looking at an orange jumpsuit for a long time.

Worse than burning down a building or even harming a mascot. These beautiful trees have grown in the heart of Auburn for 130 years.
Let's hope someone can come up with something and save them... or maybe bronze them for generations to come. They've been my favorite since I was a high school girl... with a roll of toilet paper in my hands
What is your favorite today?
Y'all join in~

Sandi

Blue Monday ~ Hearts

There are hearts everywhere you look~ We picked these up at the spit on Boston's south shore. That's right...

These are God's rocks.

Happy Valentines Day!

Don't forget to check in at Smiling Sally for more blues.
Y'all enjoy~
Sandi

Novel Food ~ The Magic City!

Lisa ChampaignTaste and Simona Briciole are hosting their Novel Food event. I have entered before with All of These Posts. Now it is time to choose another Novel.

Of course, I have decided to feature another of Fannie Flaggs novels. Her latest Novel is 'I Still Dream About You'. It is typical of her tales of Southern life and the fabulous characters she creates. This time it is set in the 'Magic City' ~ also known as my hometown of Birmingham. If you haven't read it... it is a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

'The Club' sits high above the city and has always been known as a place to see and to be seen. It is just the kind of place that Maggie Fortenberry, the ex-Miss Alabama in Fannie's novel, would love to be.

My recipe is a duplication of a dessert we had there just last night.
Raspberry Mousse Brownie
Brownie
1 2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) Nestlé Chocolatier Dark Chocolate Morsels, divided
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup (2/3 stick) butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/3 cup frozen raspberries, drained, mashed
Raspberry Mousse
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 to 7 drops red food coloring (optional)
1/4 cup frozen raspberries, drained, mashed
1/3 cup whipping cream
For Brownie
Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease 9-inch-square baking pan.
Microwave 1 cup chocolate morsels in small, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on high (100%) power for 45 seconds; stir. Morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until smooth; cool to room temperature.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Beat granulated sugar, butter and vanilla extract in medium mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs; beat until light and fluffy. Beat in melted chocolate. Stir in flour mixture until blended. Stir in mashed raspberries. Spread into prepared baking pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
For Raspberry Mousse
Chop remaining morsels into roughly 1/4-inch pieces. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and food coloring, if desired, in medium mixer bowl until creamy. Fold in mashed raspberries and chopped chocolate morsels.
Beat cream in small mixer bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold into raspberry cream cheese mixture until blended. Spread mousse over cooled brownie. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut into bars.
Recipe from Cuisinart.com

Even now... I still dream about you~

Y'all enjoy!
Sandi

Photohunt ~ Education

The photohunt for this week is 'education'Does Cooking School in Italy count towards my education? I Think So!
Happy huntng y'all~
Sandi

Friday's Favorites ~ Snow!

One of the things I love about Alabama is the weather. Not so much July and August when it is hotter than Fried Green Tomatoes fresh out of the grease. Not so much April when everything is covered with yellow pollen.

I do love January... when we get a dusting of snow that lasts for 24 hours~ then is gone.

What's not to love about that?

What is your favorite today?
Y'all join in the linky party~

Sandi

Blue Monday ~ LOVE

I saw this at Three Pixy Lane and decided it was a fun idea. How many ways can you spell LOVE?

I kicked mine up a notch with a super cute boot, a pretty Blue Plate for my blue monday friends,

a handy kitchen tool, and a curly e (work with me on that one y'all!)

Now . . . how many of you are up to the Challenge? Let's see how many ways we can spell L.O.V.E

between now and valentine's day.

Don't forget to check in at Smiling Sally for more blues and I am also linking up at Between Naps on the Porch.
Love y'all~
Sandi

My friend Rhoda who is Southern Hositality is having a huge moving sale! Check out her blog if you are in the area!

Photohunt ~ Fashion

The photohunt for this week is 'fashion'

When we were in Italy, I got a little carried away taking pictures of the fashionable shoes.Even shoes with vespa'sItalians take their shoes seriously!and of course so did we... Happy huntng y'all~
Sandi

Friday's Favorites ~ Wear Red!

Today is the American Heart Associations Wear Red Day. It is a National effort to raise awareness about Heart Disease in Women.I'll be wearing my favorite red apron in the kitchen~

So ~ Let's all show some Red!

Y'all join in the linky party~

Sandi

Pomodori e Vino ~ Braised Fennel

Fennel has always been my 'most' favorite. Well... the truth? It's been my favorite since Ive been old enough to know what it was. Marcella describes Finocchio as related to anise, but with a cool, mild aroma. I love it raw in a fresh salad, on pizza, or roasted with olive oil.

This is Marcella's rendition of Braised Fennel with olive oil. The fennel stalk is sliced and then cooked in water and olive oil. Turn the slices until it becomes lightly browned. When done, the fennel will be tender and the liquid is gone.

Beautiful!

Remember to follow us along daily on Facebook or on the Pomodori e Vino Blog ...
Ciao Y'all,
Sandi

Cooking Light ~Heart Healty Red Food

Our Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club had become a little more exciting this month with the edition of 2 new bloggers. I am super excited that my friend Jerry has decided to join in from Canada. He is an adventurous cook and a brilliant writer. We are both a part of the Pomodori e Vino group and are cooking our way through Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Italian Cooking. Roz's blog is La Bella Vita and I 'm sure that she is also going to offer a nice variety to our Cooking Light Supper Cub.

We have fun planning our menues from month to month. This month our 'theme' is Red Heart Healthy~ Red Food. I found my Cooking Light Recipe with red onions and the bright flavor of mint. I couldn't resist a little taste of spring.

Spanish Salad with Fennel, Red Onions and Mint
2 cups thinly sliced red onion
3 large navel oranges
3 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
3 Tbs plain fat-free yogurt
2 Tbs frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and crushed
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Place thinly sliced red onion in a medium bowl; cover with ice water, and soak 15 minutes. Drain well.
Carefully remove rind and white pithy part of rind from oranges; discard rind and pith. Cut each orange in half vertically; remove white pithy core portion, and discard. Cut oranges crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, reserving about 1/3 cup juice for dressing.

Layer red onion, thinly sliced fennel, and orange evenly in a bowl or on a platter, and sprinkle with fresh mint leaves. Combine reserved juice, plain fat-free yogurt, juice concentrate, and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk to combine. Drizzle evenly over salad; serve immediatelyI served it last week with a nice grilled salmon fillet... making this one Heart Healthy meal!


Now let's see what everyone else has brought for our Red Food Red Heart Virtual Supper Club~~
Jamie is bringing the appetizer plate of Bruschetta with Warm Tomatoes
Val has picked red meat and red potatoes with a Bourbon Brown Sugar Flank Steak and Potatoes (Yum!)
MaryAnn has a salad with Red Radish and Radicchio with a Warm Walnut Viniagrette.
Jerry is bringing a vegetable of Roasted Sweet and Sour Beats with Carrots and Parsnips (yum-yum!)
Roz is in charge of desserts and she has a Almond Jelly Roll with Rasperry filling
Don't forget, that y'all are welcome to join in our virtual supper with the blog hop!

Y'all enjoy~

Sandi